يا أيُّها السَفْحُ ماذا يَصنَعُ البانُ

يا أيُّها السَفْحُ ماذا يَصنَعُ البانُ

إذا انتَنَتْ من قُدودِ الحَيِّ أغصانُ

إذا انتَنَتْ من قُدودِ الحَيِّ أغصانُ

O mountainside, what can the moringa tree do

O hillside, what can the hyacinth do

when boughs of the tribe’s slender figures [bend]?

If the branches of the district are rotten?

وأنتَ يا أيُّها الحامي العشيرةَ مَن

وأنتَ يا أيُّها الحامي العشيرةَ مَن

يَحميكَ إنْ بَرَزَتْ للفَتكِ أجفانُ

يَحميكَ إنْ بَرَزَتْ للفَتكِ أجفانُ

And you, O defender of the clan, who

And you, O protector of the clan, who

will protect you if eyelids come forth to slay?

Will protect you if the eyelids move to murder?

حَيَّا الحَيا ذلكَ الحيَّ الذي اجتمَعَتْ

حَيَّا الحَيا ذلكَ الحيَّ الذي اجتمَعَتْ

في طَيِّ أبياتِهِ أسْدٌ وغِزْلانُ

في طَيِّ أبياتِهِ أسْدٌ وغِزْلانُ

May the rain greet that tribe, where have gathered

Long live the living one, that living one whose

within the folds of its tents, lions and gazelles.

Poetry combines lion and fawn.

لِأَعْيُنِ الغِيدِ شَكلٌ من ظِباهُ وفي

لِأَعْيُنِ الغِيدِ شَكلٌ من ظِباهُ وفي

ظُباهُ مِن وَجَناتِ الغيدِ ألوانُ

ظُباهُ مِن وَجَناتِ الغيدِ ألوانُ

The graceful women’s eyes resemble its gazelles’, and on

To the eyes of the antelope a form of mountain goats, and in

its sword edges are hues from the graceful women’s cheeks.

The mountain goats some of the antelope’s colors.

رَبعٌ إليهِ قُلوبُ النَّاسِ ظامِئَةٌ

رَبعٌ إليهِ قُلوبُ النَّاسِ ظامِئَةٌ

من وَجْدِها وَهْوَ بالأنواءِ رَيَّانُ

من وَجْدِها وَهْوَ بالأنواءِ رَيَّانُ

An abode for which people’s hearts thirst

A refuge to which people’s hearts thirst

from longing, while it is well watered by the rains.

Quenched by his essence, made verdant by the winds.

كأنَّ خِضْرَ بنَ رَعدٍ حلَّ ساحتَهُ

كأنَّ خِضْرَ بنَ رَعدٍ حلَّ ساحتَهُ

فأرعَدَتْ مُزنةٌ واخضَرَّ بُستانُ

فأرعَدَتْ مُزنةٌ واخضَرَّ بُستانُ

As though Khidr ibn Raʿd had settled in its courtyard,

As if the green of the Banu Sa’d settled his campsite

so a raincloud thundered and a garden turned green.

So thunder rumbled and orchards turned green,

ذاكَ الكريمُ الذي في ظلِّ رايتهِ

ذاكَ الكريمُ الذي في ظلِّ رايتهِ

أمنٌ وفي أُنسِهِ رَوْحٌ ورَيْحانُ

أمنٌ وفي أُنسِهِ رَوْحٌ ورَيْحانُ

That is the generous man beneath whose banner’s shade

That generous one under whose banner

there is safety, and in his company are repose and sweet basil.

Is safety, and in his company, spirit and basil,

قد زَارَ بيروتَ فاخَضَرَّتْ جوانِبُها

قد زَارَ بيروتَ فاخَضَرَّتْ جوانِبُها

من شِدَّةِ الخِصْبِ حتى اخضَرَّ لُبنانُ

من شِدَّةِ الخِصْبِ حتى اخضَرَّ لُبنانُ

He visited Beirut, and its surroundings turned green

Who visited Beirut, so its sides turned green

from such abundant fertility that even Lebanon turned green.

From abundant fertility until Lebanon turned green,

ذاكَ الذي يُجَتنى في السِّلمِ من فَمِهِ

ذاكَ الذي يُجَتنى في السِّلمِ من فَمِهِ

دُرٌّ ومن سَيفِهِ في الحَرْبِ نِيرانُ

دُرٌّ ومن سَيفِهِ في الحَرْبِ نِيرانُ

He is the one from whose mouth, in peace, are harvested

That one from whose mouth pearls are harvested in peace

pearls, and from whose sword, in war, flames.

And from whose sword in war comes fire,

إذا انطفَتْ نارُ حربٍ في النَّهارِ لهُ

إذا انطفَتْ نارُ حربٍ في النَّهارِ لهُ

قامَتْ لصُنعِ القِرَى في الليلِ نيرانُ

قامَتْ لصُنعِ القِرَى في الليلِ نيرانُ

When his fire of war dies out by day,

When the fires of war blaze by day, for him

fires arise by night to prepare food for guests.

At night fires are lit to build villages,

الطاعنُ الخيلَ قد ألقىَ فَوارِسَها

الطاعنُ الخيلَ قد ألقىَ فَوارِسَها

عنها فهُنَّ على الفُرسانِ فُرسانُ

عنها فهُنَّ على الفُرسانِ فُرسانُ

He who spears the steeds has thrown their riders

The knight who spurs horses has cast them aside

off them; thus the steeds are riders upon the horsemen.

So they are knights over the horsemen.

قد علَّمَ السَّيفَ بَذْلَ الجُودِ من يَدِهِ

قد علَّمَ السَّيفَ بَذْلَ الجُودِ من يَدِهِ

فالوَحْشُ من حَولهِ والطَّيرُ ضِيفانُ

فالوَحْشُ من حَولهِ والطَّيرُ ضِيفانُ

He has taught the sword the generous giving of his hand,

The sword he taught generosity from his hand

so the wild beasts around him and the birds are guests.

So wildlife and birds are his guests,

مُؤَيَّدٌ بيَمينِ اللهِ مُقتدِرٌ

مُؤَيَّدٌ بيَمينِ اللهِ مُقتدِرٌ

لهُ مَلائِكةُ الرَّحمنِ أعوانُ

لهُ مَلائِكةُ الرَّحمنِ أعوانُ

Upheld by God’s right hand, powerful,

Supported by Allah’s right hand, empowered,

the All-Merciful’s angels are his helpers.

The angels of the Merciful are his helpers.

تُمسي السُّعودُ قياماً تحت رايتِهِ

تُمسي السُّعودُ قياماً تحت رايتِهِ

كأنَّهُ عندَهُ جندٌ وغِلمانُ

كأنَّهُ عندَهُ جندٌ وغِلمانُ

The auspicious stars spend the evening standing beneath his banner,

The Saudis spend the evening under his banner

as though he had troops and servant boys beside him.

As if around him are armies and lads,

كأنَّ مَنزِلَ خِضْرٍ ذَاتُ فاكِهةٍ

كأنَّ مَنزِلَ خِضْرٍ ذَاتُ فاكِهةٍ

مِنَ الجِنانِ بها نخْلٌ ورُمَّانُ

مِنَ الجِنانِ بها نخْلٌ ورُمَّانُ

It is as though Khidr’s dwelling were a fruit-bearing garden

As if the dwellings of Khidr of luscious fruits

among the gardens, with date palms and pomegranates.

From the gardens are there with palm and pomegranate,

يستأمِنُ الخائفُ اللاجي إليه كما

يستأمِنُ الخائفُ اللاجي إليه كما

يَغنَى الفقيرُ ويُكسَى الخَزَّ عُريانُ

يَغنَى الفقيرُ ويُكسَى الخَزَّ عُريانُ

The fearful man taking refuge with him seeks protection, just as

The refugee seeking him finds safety just as

the poor man grows rich and the naked man is clothed in silk.

The poor become wealthy and the naked clothed.

مهذَّبُ النُّطقِِ لا لَغْوٌ يُعابُ بهِ

مهذَّبُ النُّطقِِ لا لَغْوٌ يُعابُ بهِ

وللمعاني كما للّفظِ مِيزانُ

وللمعاني كما للّفظِ مِيزانُ

Refined in speech, he has no idle talk to be faulted for,

Eloquent in speech, no idle talk to fault him,

and there is a balance for meanings, as for words.

And to meanings as to words he keeps the scale.

حَوَى الإصابةَ في حُكمٍ وفي حِكَمٍ

حَوَى الإصابةَ في حُكمٍ وفي حِكَمٍ

فكانَ في الكُلِّ يُدعَى يا سُلَيمانُ

فكانَ في الكُلِّ يُدعَى يا سُلَيمانُ

He was unerring in judgment and in words of wisdom,

He attained success in ruling and wisdom

so in all things he was hailed, “O Solomon!”

Thus in all he was called “O Solomon!”

يا مَن بَغَى أن يراني تلكَ مَكرمةٌ

يا مَن بَغَى أن يراني تلكَ مَكرمةٌ

لها على كَرَمِ الأخلاقِ بُرهانُ

لها على كَرَمِ الأخلاقِ بُرهانُ

O you who wished to see me—that is a noble favor

O you who wished to see me, that is a glory

that bears witness to nobility of character.

Which proves generosity of character,

لقد عَرَفناكَ بالأسماعِ عن بعُدٍ

لقد عَرَفناكَ بالأسماعِ عن بعُدٍ

وكيفَ تَجهَلُ صَوتَ الرَّعدِ آذانُ

وكيفَ تَجهَلُ صَوتَ الرَّعدِ آذانُ

We have indeed known you through hearing, from afar;

We knew you from afar by hearsay

and how could ears fail to recognize thunder’s voice?

And how can ears not know the voice of thunder?

هذِهْ عُجالةُ مَدحٍ لو وَفيتُ لهُ

هذِهْ عُجالةُ مَدحٍ لو وَفيتُ لهُ

بما اقتَضَى لم يكُنْ يكفيهِ دِيوانُ

بما اقتَضَى لم يكُنْ يكفيهِ دِيوانُ

This is a hurried tribute; were I to give him his full due

This is a hasty eulogy - had I matched it

as he deserves, a whole volume of poems would not suffice him.

To what it required, a diwan would not suffice.

قَطَفتُ من طِيبِ رَوضٍ زَهرةً وكَفَى

قَطَفتُ من طِيبِ رَوضٍ زَهرةً وكَفَى

إذْ ليسَ يَقطِفُ كلَّ الزَّهرِ إنسانُ

إذْ ليسَ يَقطِفُ كلَّ الزَّهرِ إنسانُ

I plucked a flower from a fragrant garden, and that suffices,

I plucked a flower from a sweet garden, and enough -

for no person plucks all the flowers.

For not every man can pluck all the flowers.